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15 December 2012

Two sea angels

Clione limacinabelongs
to the family of sea angels (Clionidae). They are free-swimming non-shelled marine gastropods. They use their wing-like parapodia to swim
across the water column [1]. Their slow movement can be described as that of
an angel flapping its wings, thus the term "sea angel". These col water hermaphrodites feed on sea butterflies, specifically Limacina helicina and Limacina retroversa, the
latter being more favored. The sea angel everts its six adhesive buccal cones towards
its prey, inserts its chitinous hooks into the prey’s body then engulfs
it wholly [2].